Board changes needed to move forward

Monday

Sen. Reggie Dupre, D-Bourg, has won committee approval of his proposal for sweeping changes to the way the state oversees coastal activities.

This can only be good news for those who will ultimately benefit or lose out from the way the state approaches these vital projects.

Dupreís plan has been heralded by coastal and flood-protection advocates here and seems to move the state in the right direction.

The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, set up after the 2005 hurricanes, has long argued for putting the coast under the same bureaucratic arm as flood protection.

This is a big step in accomplishing that much-needed reform.

The two issues are inextricably linked.

Not only does coastal restoration -- by seeking to bolster the natural defenses we have traditionally had against the rising tides -- directly affect flood protection, it is also affected by it.

Plans for levees, for instance, must account for how those flood-protection structures will affect the fragile wetlands inside and outside their borders.

Just as important in Dupreís proposal is the fact that it will also increase the representation of areas such as southwest Louisiana, which has not had much say in the stateís coastal plans.

Though some officials have predicted that the CPRA could run into problems because it will have 18 -- an equal number -- members.

That means some projects or priorities could face the prospect of tied votes, creating a potential snag in the process.

Instead, that could be a procedural way to ensure that consensus is formed along the way.

Rather than knowing that a one-vote majority will lead the way to voting victories, representatives on the board will know that their fellow members must be respected and, we hope, will foster cooperation and compromise.

It should receive a hearing this week by the full Senate, a step that could mean changes to Dupreís legislation.

That, too, though could be a positive.

The CPRA will be overseeing the spending of unprecedented amounts of federal money directed to coastal restoration.

And the more carefully state leaders think out its workings now, the better off we will be in the long run.

In addition to streamlining some of the processes, the measure would also clearly define the types of projects the CPRA can undertake.

That means it will be able to steer federal money toward roads, bridges and other infrastructure as well as purely coastal projects.

Those projects will play a part in keeping us safe, easing our evacuations and protecting the flow of energy that makes us relevant to the rest of the nation.

Altogether, Dupreís bill seems like itís a crucial part of going forward for our state.

Itís good to see it getting a thoughtful hearing.

Editorials represent the opinions of this newspaper, and not of any one person.

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